Turkish F-16 Shoots Down Syrian Plane, Caught On Live Video

Remember this country, the place which about a year ago was supposed to be "Ukraine" in terms of geopolitical escalations:

Well, in the aftermath of what appears a tenuous detente over the Crimea while Putin plans his next step of how to "merge" with east Ukraine as he sets off to rebuild the USSR, Syria just may be set to regain its place at the top of the global geopolitical risk pyramid. Case in point, early this morning, the fragile ceasefire between Syria and Turkey was shatered after a Turkish F- 16 shot down a Syrian plane on Sunday after it crossed into Turkish air space in a border region where Syrian rebels have been battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

"A Syrian plane violated our airspace," Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told an election rally of his supporters in northwest Turkey. "Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard,"

The rebels have been fighting for control of the Kasab crossing, the border region, since Friday, when they launched an offensive which Syrian authorities say was backed by Turkey's military.

Syria said Turkish air defenses shot down the jet while it was attacking rebel forces inside Syrian territory, calling the move a "blatant aggression".

State television quoted a military source as saying the pilot managed to eject from the plane. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said initial reports from the area said the plane came down on the Syrian side of the border.

Al Manar, the television station of Assad's Lebanese ally Hezbollah, said two rockets had been fired from Turkish territory at the Syrian jet.

Amazingly, here is a clip of a live broadcast by HaberTurk which appears to have caught the moment of the plane's crash live on video.

Why did Turkey really engage? Simple: to distract from PM Erdogan's relentless political collapse when one after another political scandal is hitting the embattled premier who last week shut down access to Twitter, and it likely set to block YouTube as well, where a phone recording of his admitting graft and embezzlement can still be found. Naturally, it struck at the one country it knows will hardly fight back against the NATO member, although now that Russian foreign policy sentiment is once again shifting dramatically, and may call for far greater support for Syria, not to mention that suddenly Turkey is hardly in "democratic" Europe's good graces in the aftermath of the Twitter censorship scandal, Erdogan may just have miscalculated.

As for the next steps in Turkey, we repeat what we said on Friday: "We eagerly look forward to see which particular pro-Western agent is groomed to take Erdogan's place. After all remember: those Qatari gas pipelines that in a parallel universe, one without Putin, would have already been transporting nat gas under Syria, would enter Europe under Turkey."

Surely following yet another "chess" victory by Putin in the foreign relations arena, the urgency to find that Qatari natgas outlet to Europe is that much greater...

Let me translate the vdeo since I speak fluent Turkish. "Obama is a pussy, he will draw another red line and Syria will continue to do what Putin wants without any fear of retahleation from the US. Obama is a pussy"

"The pilot told the Syrian TV that he was carrying out the mission of pursuing terrorists within Syrian territories, more than 7 kilometers away from the borders, and after arriving at the target’s location, establishing visual contact, and carrying out his mission, he turned around to return to base when rocket fired by a Turkish aircraft hit his aircraft, so he left it using the ejector seat."

"He asserted that his target was well within Syrian territories, and he parachuted inside Syrian territories, saying 'I will return to them in good health condition, high morale, strong willpower, and resolution like iron,' vowing to keep fighting until the last terrorist in Syria is dead."

"An official source at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry labeled in a statement on Sunday Turkish aggression as 'unprecedented and unjustifiable' that also reflects bankruptcy of Erdogan."

"The aggression, the source noted, included firing tank and artillery shells on the Syrian territories to secure coverage for the armed terrorist groups to enter into Syria from the Turkish land."

"It reiterated that these 'serious' Turkish military attacks reflect Erdogan’s failure to handle the needs of the Turkish people who have rejected the Turkish government’s hostile policies against Syria as they also rejected the corruption which Erdogan is involved and uncovering the involvement which led to the Turkish people to take part in massive protests against Erdogan demanding the departure of his regime."

"'This escalation came in the framework of the aggressive policies of Erdogan’s government and its openly-provided support to the armed terrorist groups,' said the source, adding that the terrorist groups have taken up the Turkish lands as a shelter, springboard and arming center for them to kill innocent Syrians and destroy the infrastructure of the Syrian people."

What choice do they have? Stay aligned to the West and watch as they once again don't come the rescue of an ally? As the Euro zone stagnates or worse crumbles?

No, I think Turkey can see the writing on the wall and will find a way to talk to Russia. A Russian brokered deal with Syria is a first step. Then a Black Sea Basin deal. Putin knows if he butters up Turkey they will have no choice but to accept.

And don't forget about the Kurds. Russia could tell Turkey that they'll back Ankara if the Kurds want to follow the Crimean blueprint. Bottom line: Turkey has no choice.

I don't like basting Turkey in butter, because the milk solids burn. Two exceptions... use clarified butter or baste with butter towards the end of the cooking time to get nice browning if needed. Or third choice nuke the fuck out of it.

The sunnis exploded out to lead after the tip but the shia were able to make a game of it after a tremendous mahdi halftime speech by Ahmed Crazypants. This game really went down to the wire folks. In the end both Russia and the west won as both teams simply ran out of players.

Syria is beautiful country from what I've heard and read but the Assads are borderline psychopathic killers. They belong to the Alawite secret sect, a tiny minority and have used terror to rule for the past ~40 years. They've screwed it up. Probably before this civil war started, you could've gone for a visit and actually have enjoyed yourself. Cheap food & lodging, historical sights, nature. Pretty low key, but enjoyable. Now? Maybe Tadmur in the desert would be laid back, but how does one get there without risking their life?

i was just in turkey a few weeks ago. istanbul definately feels different these days from even just a year ago...our supplier there is very nervous...chinese keep beating them in tenders and this guy running the country is definately, definately fucking up business on the home front and cash money is tight.

"Well, in the aftermath of what appears a tenuous detente over the Crimea while Putin plans his next step of how to "merge" with east Ukraine as he sets off to rebuild the USSR"...

Yes Russia has a military that can more than adequately defend itself against Western aggression in it's own neighborhood in the overthrow of legitimate government(s) as we've witnessed Washington ,Tel Aviv and London orchestrate yet again which depending on your association and who started it makes all the difference in the debate.

If Russia has it's footing and can turn to ash Western Europe and the American shores for a war it won't start if we're sincerely comparing track records in the war and occupation agenda -so be it!

Hope that's not making the advertisers too nervous?...

I posted this yesterday by Dr. Kevin Barrett but it's a sincere and honest portrayal of what is wrong when "a loser" continues to lose.

There is also a reason why Kasab crossing is not in the hands of people like Al-Qaeda because they just call anyone who isn't Islamic opposition whether they really are or aren't. You know Chinese, Japanese Jew, Joooo they all look the same.....

Surp Stepanos (Saint Stephen) Armeian Apostolic Church built in 909 in Karadouran village near the Syrian-Turkish borderline. Surp Stepanos is the oldest standing Armenian church in Syria. It was renovated in 1987 by the Armenian-French organization "Yergir yev Mshaguyt" (Country and Culture).

Church of the Holy Mother of God of the Apostolic Armenians in Karadouran village. On 18 October 2009, His Holiness Aram I Catholicos (of the Holy See of Cilicia), consecrated the new Virgin Mary's Church in Karadouran.[8] The newly built church came to replace the old church that was built in 1890 and ruined in 1942, then built again in 1950 and was about to crumble in the beginning of the 21st century.[9]

Emmanuel Armenian Evangelical Church in Ekizolukh (opened in 1911, construction completed in 1956).

The Armenian Evangelical Church in Keorkeuna.

The Armenian Evangelical Church in Karadouran (1908, renovated in 1986)

The Church and the Convent of Our Lady of Assumption of the Catholic Armenians in Baghjaghaz (1890, renovated in 2003).

...

So are they really opposition forces or just Armenian Christians being used for their land aka borders. People define borders, borders don't define people....

Syrian opposition forces launched an assault on a regime-controlled border crossing into Turkey on Friday.

The main armed opposition group in Syria, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters mounted an early morning attack to seize the town of Keseb and its Turkish border gate, opposition sources told.

Sound of clashes were heard in the Turkish border town of Yayladagi and villages along the border.

Three regime-controlled border posts have reportedly been captured by the opposition.

A Turkish commander, who wanted to remain anonymous, also confirmed to our correspondent that there were clashes taking place.

Turkey has put its security forces on alert and warned its citizens living near the border.

The war between the Free Syrian Army and forces loyal to the embattled president Bashar Assad has been in an uneasy stalemate since late 2013.

Recently, regime-affiliated troops reportedly captured Yabroud, one of the last opposition strongholds in the mountainous Qalamoun region along the Lebanese border.

On February, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces made a reshuffle in FSA's general staff, replacing former chief Salim Idriss with veteran field commander Abdullah al-Bashir.

Parachute Brigadier Abdul Ilah al-Bashir Al Nuaimi, the new Chief of Staff of the “Free Syrian Army”, is from Al-Rafid village in Al-Quneitra Syrian province (southwest) on the border with the Golan Heights occupied by Israel. He is one of the elders of Al-Naimi clan, one of the largest Syria’s clans.

Bashir dissented from the forces of the Syrian regime on July 2012, and since that date, he worked on founding and forming the nucleus of the “Free Syrian Army” in the province of Al-Quneitra, before leading the operations there and therefore heading the military junta later.

Dependent sources stated that Al-Bashir is one of the coordinators with el-Khalq terrorists in Iraq, where he asked them to assist in Syria. Also, he is the commander of the guerrilla militia of the Free Syrian Army in the area of Al-Quneitra and the Golan Heights, who has been moving between the forestry of Breka, Bir Ajam, and Jabatha Al-Khashab with the help of the Israeli enemy, according to the information given by the dependent source that is not authenticated yet.

Who is the “Mujahedin” el-Khalq organization?

Is a terrorist organization led by Massoud Rajavi. It is a dissenting organization based in Iraq, aims at overthrowing the current Iranian regime, and works on supporting the terrorist plans, while it was discovered later that it has tight contacts with the militia of the Free Syrian Army.

Here remains the question, why the terrorist opposition aspires to overthrow its leader Salim Idris and to appoint the most murderous man instead of him, who is the ally of Israel currently and who coordinates with el-Khalq terrorist group in Iraq ..?!

The People's Mojahedin of Iran or the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK, also PMOI, MKO; Persian: ?????? ??????? ??? ?????s?zm?n-e moj?hedin-e khalq-e ir?n) is an Iranian leftist revolutionary organization that participated in the 1979 Revolution that overthrew the PahlaviShah. Following the conflict with Ayatollah Khomeini MEK started[2] an open war and most of its members fled abroad. It is now an opposition movement in exile, that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran.[3]

Founded on September 5, 1965 by a group of left-leaning Muslim Iranian university students as an Islamic and Marxist political mass movement,[4] the MEK was originally devoted to armed struggle against the Shah of Iran and its supporters.[5] In the immediate aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the MEK and the Tudeh Party at first chose to side with the clerics led by Ayatollah Khomeini against the liberals, nationalists and other moderate forces within the revolution. A power struggle ensued, and by mid-1981, MEK was fighting street battles against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.[6][7] During the Iran–Iraq War, the group was given refuge by Saddam Hussein and mounted attacks on Iran from within Iraqi territory.[8]

...

These people in the region have long histories and it usually is complicated so you have to go with what is the primary goal(s) for each group, then regional and finally geopolitical world chessboard to figure out what team(s) they are playing for. They only have loyalty to those primary aims anything else they have no loyalty once overlapping interests no longer align.

The general direction of the early 21st century is one headed for war on a grand scale. NATO once defended Europe form the USSR, since the USSR ended, NATO has advanced relentlessly as the shock troops of the International Bankers and IMF. Wall-Street and London are the commanders of NATO. Syria and Ukraine are vital to banker plans, so they must be taken by force. Russia is the grand prize, that is why they continue to build and modernize the nuclear forces and advance at the cutting edge of missile technology. A good defense is their only chance not to be an IMF colony, resource stripped by the corporate entities whose power controls most western governments, especially the fake democracy of America.

as you said, war is the real objective. ukraine was the bait. everybody knew putin would never let ukraine to slip away and he didn't disappoint. war is pretty much foregone conclusion now. cold or hot, time will tell.

world is in desperate need of a distraction as the ponzi is reaching the end of this cycle.

NATO is the military arm. It doesn't rule anything it's just a tool for forcing governments out. What we have are puppet governments so that guys like you think everything is normal. See? Err.. I guess you probably don't get it. Basically what you see on the TV isn't really like what's going on.

abi, nato is worse than any single government, bar none. but when i would have to choose between russia or usa, i would still go with usa as i wouldn't wish soviet union experience even to an enemy. soviet union is gone but the mentality is not.

though with this pace, i'm not sure who will establish new soviet union first, usa or russia.

"A Syrian plane violated our airspace," Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told an election rally in northwest Turkey. "Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? Because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard."

"the fragile ceasefire between Syria and Turkey was shatered after a Turkish F- 16 shot down a Syrian plane on Sunday after it crossed into Turkish air space in a border region where Syrian rebels have been battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces."

This reminds me of Cambodia during the Viet Nam era. The VC had troops and supplies just across the border in Cambodia as US troops (ground), were not allowed to cross it (part of Ho Chi Mihn Trail), limited air strikes were allowed until one day, Nixon allowed some ground forces to cross the border to a distance of 25 miles to destroy their HQ. That mission was scrubbed at the last minute when forces were just a couple of miles from their target. All I see here is another Charlie Foxtrot.

This item makes the mistake of assuming that Putin wants to reestablish the territory of the former USSR without offering any evidence. There is considerable evidence that he has no such intention, Brzezinski and his friends notwithstanding.